The situations are arguably analogous.

Certainly illuminating.

In this fellow’s opinion, absolutely illustrative.

Indiana and Louisville both had big wins this week. The Hoosiers was bigger obviously, over its arch rival after nine straight losses in front of a rabid sold out crowd. The Cardinals, in front of a smattering of fans over a team it should have beaten but had to beat after three straight losses

IU was led by a career underachiever who had a career game and hit the game winning shot. Rob Phinisee.

U of L was led by a career underachiever who for the first time this season displayed a hint of his considerable promise. Jae’Lyn Withers.

Both players had talks with their coach before the game.

Here’s the rub. Continue reading Coaching: Quagmire vs Solid Ground →

The phrase jumped out at me.

It was in theathletic.com’s Justin Williams’ autopsy of the travails of Cincinnati basketball, and the mass exodus of Bearcat netters, unhappy with the style of their coach.

Louisville fans are far from the only ones wallowing in angst, while watching 68 schools other than their favorite dance.

Given my forgiving and, I believe, understanding view of the Cardinals’ underwhelming performance this campaign, the words resonated.

Referring to the mental strain of college aged youngsters playing in this weird, COVID-impacted season, Williams underscored the difficulties, citing this:

“restrictions of the pandemic and the emotional anguish it levied” Continue reading One Last Cardinal Post Mortem (As if We Need It) →

Before we get to the salient Reality Check, let’s savor what the Cardinals did do right in Chris Mack’s inaugural game as the head man.

After going ofer the long ball in the opening stanza, well traveled grad transfer Jeremiah Jefferson had taken six treys in the 2d, and drained them all. When teammate Gavin Peppers added one of his own with 3:40 left, the never quit, foul laden Colonels from Thibodaux, La. (tib-uh-dough) had whittled the nervous Cardinals lead to a deuce at 68-66.

You could almost hear the sphincters tightening. On the court. In the stands.

During the final media timeout, Mack assigned defensive ace Darius Perry to check Jefferson.

The beleaguered Cards did the tighten up.

U of L scored but one FG from then on. After VJ King drained the second of two charity opportunities, Perry broke the press, went end to end for a layup.

In the last two minutes of the nerve rattling contest, U of L went to the line fourteen times.

Here’s how they did.

Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. Net. (Hold your barbs, ye purists, I’m speaking figuratively all twine, not literally.)

Steven Enoch: 2/2. (He was 9/9 on the night.) VJ King: 2/2. Christian Cunningham: 2/2. Perry: 2/2. Cunningham again: 2/2. Dwayne Sutton: 2/2. Cunningham once more: 2/2 to make it an 85-72 final.

In a game when the Cardinals did little else objectively exemplary, they connected on their last 15 charity tosses to seal the deal.   Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Nicholls State →

One last look back at the remnants of the devastation that was U of L’s loss to Alabama in the opener.

As I’ve written in blog comments somewhere since the game, I am disappointed but not disconsolate.

Alabama did what Alabama does. The Tide rolled. They are an incredible football team, and getting steamrolled by them seemed about right frankly.

Which is to say most of the flaws present in U of L’s performance — one guy’s opinion — can be blamed on the Tide’s prowess, and the Cards understandable nervousness and lack of comparable ability playing such a perennial power.

So, I’m willing to wait and see if some of the many gaffes on display Saturday don’t dissipate in coming weeks against less formidable opponents.

But there are three things — perhaps more — I truly don’t understand, which have nothing to do with the reality that Bama was faster, more talented and a far better team. Continue reading Red & Black Rants & Raves: 9/03 →